3 years ago

US: Robot Taxis Cause Massive Traffic Jam Just 24 Hours After They Are Launched in California

Turns out that driverless robotaxis still may not be ready for primetime. A shining example of this revelation came from California this week where, one day after the state implemented a massive expansion of the robotaxis, it was faced with a 10-car driverless traffic jam in San Francisco.  The 10 taxies “blocked two narrow streets in the centre of the city’s lively North Beach bar and restaurant district”, according to a report from Yahoo Finance, which said the robotaxis “might as well have been boulders” because nobody knew how to move them.  The jam clogged up Vallejo Street and two corners on Grant, as human drivers were unable to manoeuvre around the automated vehicles, the report says. The robotaxis sat with their parking lights flashing for 15 minutes before “waking up” and eventually moving on.  “Our houses in North Beach are made of sticks,” said Aaron Peskin, who represents North Beach on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He tried to allay his fears that robotaxis could jam the streets close in the event of a major emergency or fire where people needed to evacuate an area.  Cruise, who oversees the project, blamed cellphone carriers for the problem. Government affairs manager Lauren […]